The Use of Low-Order and Higher-Order Questions in Mathematics Teaching: Video Analyses Case Study

Abstract

The aim of this video analyses case study was to compare levels of teacher questioning in mathematics classrooms between two countries (United States and Australia) whose language and mode of classroom instruction is English. Data were collected by analysing the video lessons from the United States and Australia in the Learner’s Perspective Study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that in both the United States and Australia, male students were more engaged in questions posed by their teachers as compared to the female students. The overall results showed that male students volunteered, and were called on more to teachers’ questions compared to the female students. There were similarities and differences observed and the striking similarity was the frequently asked low-level questions in the lessons. Furthermore, male students were asked more high level and low level questions compared to the female students. In contrast, there were more students in Australia than in the United States who were asked more than two high and low level questions. The data in this study suggest that gender biased teacher questioning do occur in the Year 8 mathematics classes.